NIGHT 54: Forest

[sanguinario]

[From here.]Edward knew exactly where they were going, exactly how they were going there, and how it would end when they finally did. It helped that he wasn't slamming his foot down on the gas pedal of an Aston Martin before collapsing into the forest, but even standing still wasn't enough to prepare him for a new wave of the nausea he had

Comments

[full_score]

((From here.))

Claude had walked through his fair share of forests during his journeys. While he appreciated what a sharp contrast they were when compared to the megacities of Earth, he also respected how dangerous they could be.

For an Earthing who'd grown up without having to pass through any monster-infested wilderness to get from one town to another, the thick branches and tall trees of a forest could prove difficult to navigate. They also made it almost impossible to detect an ambush until it was too late. Consequently, while Claude's previous experience with this sort of terrain certainly served him well during situations like these, he still couldn't say it was his strongest point.

That was all right, though. He still had weapons, which meant actually defending himself and the other members of his group wouldn't be a huge problem as long as he stayed focused (he hoped so, anyway). Claude was determined not to let this become a repeat of last time, when they'd lost Asch within a matter of moments

[razing_phoenix]

It didn't take long for the woods to get even thicker as they continued to move away from the building, but Guy wasn't too bothered by it. What he did remember was how Marc had initially been injured in this place, and how Jill had given them a warning about it. This had to be the forest itself, right? The trees were much closer together here, but he was relieved to see that there were still some workable paths that extended through the woods. It would have been difficult trying to wade through the brush, after all

[melodists]

Anise's attitude had a way of being infectious. Consequently, Tear found herself relaxing a notch. A slight notch--they were still roaming around in a danger zone--but all in all, she felt better. With renewed focus, the soldier stepped beside the group, ears trained for running water and eyes out for any potential danger. The task was relatively easy thanks to previous experience; for that, she was glad. The woods here were about the same as the ones back in Auldrant, and therefore, they were manageable despite the difference in location

[gald_digger]

To Anise, it seemed like it was only yesterday that she and her friends had returned from the Cheagle Woods. Now they had to go into another forest? Anise was starting to get sick of the sight of trees. This place was even worse, with it being so dark out. The thick layers of leaves above them blocked out what little natural light they had, so it was a lucky thing they had those light-making devices

[full_score]

Claude gave a grim nod in agreement when Guy suggested that they not do much that could alert anyone (or anything) else to their presence. While he could understand why it was kind of a drag to have to carry themselves in relative quiet, and thus related to Anise's not-entirely-serious reply, Claude knew it was better to be safe than sorry

[razing_phoenix]

Surprisingly enough, it didn't take them too long before the sound of the river became clear. Guy made sure to keep pace with the others, and he couldn't help smiling when they finally came within visible distance of the running water. He hadn't expected them to stumble upon it so quickly, but he wasn't going to complain.

So, if he was remembering Anise's words correctly, they might be able to follow this river all the way to those ruins. He didn't know if they were in the forest or separate from it, but just walking alongside it would probably lead somewhere. He didn't know which direction to follow it, though, which did pose a problem

[melodists]

They had found the river without much trouble. For that fact, Tear was grateful. It would have been discouraging to spend the rest of their night searching for the landmark. She sighed softly at the sight, feeling a sort of relief at the darken bank and the sounds of moving water. One task done. Time, then, to figure out the location of their final destination

[gald_digger]

Claude's idea sounded sensible enough. It would suck if they followed the river, only to find out they picked the wrong direction. If there was a town around, or even just the remains of one, it would probably stand out if they just looked for it. Or so Anise hoped, anyway.

Everyone else seemed to be on board and offering their assistance, and Anise was quick to join in. "Yeah, we'll watch your back!" she chimed in with a smile. Anise might not have had the kind of physical strength that Tear or Guy had, but she considered herself to be pretty sharp. Helping to watch for threats was no problem!

Anise walked to the opposite side of the tree from where Tear stood, stopping a little ways away (but well within everyone's sight). From there, she glanced back to the others with a grin and a nod, as if to say "You can count on me!" With teamwork like theirs, there was nothing to worry about.

[full_score]

He'd initially wondered if anyone would object to his climbing, but the fact remained that guessing which way to go was basically a coin flip at this point. It didn't hurt to take a moment to get their bearings, right? They might wind up saving themselves some trouble, and so far no crazy mountain lions or anything had attacked them, so maybe they'd be okay. Claude would just do his best to keep an eye out and trust his friends to watch out for him. Hopefully there wouldn't be any need for them to step in, though

[razing_phoenix]

It looked like they would be set, with Claude climbing up, Tear and Anise keeping a lookout on the ground, and Guy making sure that Claude didn't lose his balance. He had to admit they were a good team, and that was even with Anise's memory gone. He knew that she was perfectly competent even without any Landel's knowledge, but it was still impressive that she had been taking it all in stride and adapting so well despite being thrown in head first

[melodists]

With Claude's assurance, Tear left him to climb the tree and went off several feet in the opposite direction of Anise. She stayed within eyesight of the group; in the event of an emergency, there shouldn't be a delay in providing assistance. For a split second, she considered singing the second Fonic Hymn--it was potent enough to maintain temporary protection until Claude was finished with his task. Added insurance, more or less. The thought, however, led to a dead end. She couldn't risk another first-time attempt out in the open like this.

Therefore, she abandoned the idea and focused on possible intruders or cries for help. Once in a while, the soldier glanced back to the group. Anise was doing her best despite the initial setback while Guy was watching Claude ascend. As long as this continued, they may be on their way within minutes and without any distruptions.

[gald_digger]

With her back to the group, Anise kept an eye on the area in front of her, watching the foliage for any signs of suspicious movement.

There was nothing noteworthy that she could see, and the only noise she could hear other than the wind was the sound of branches shaking as Claude climbed the tree behind her. That was a relief. Even though Anise readily volunteered to keep watch, she wasn't entirely sure what she'd do if a monster really did come after her. Tear said their artes were weakened, so Anise didn't know how well she could actually defend herself.

If they were lucky, though, maybe things would just stay this quiet until they reached the town.

[full_score]

((From here.))

The flash from his phase gun combined with the fact a strangely-shaped monster just fell from the tree were probably clear indicators that something had happened up in those branches, but Claude didn't feel the need to launch into an explanation. Instead, he dropped into the grass from several branches up, eyes scanning the ground for where the creature had fallen. He was only vaguely aware of the warm blood pouring from the wound in his arm. Compared to everything else, it was only an afterthought.

That should have been his first clue that something strange had happened to him, but right then Claude just wanted to make certain no one else's arm was going to get chewed up. He wasn't hurting, and no vital arteries had been cut, so he could afford to focus on other things.

"Is everyone okay?" he quickly asked as his light swept around the tree trunk. "Did you see where that thing went?" Claude held his gun tightly in his other hand, ready to fire it again if necessary.

[razing_phoenix]

Even with all of them splitting their attention, Guy still wasn't able to do much when he realized that something was wrong up in the tree Claude had climbed. His first clue was a sudden shriek that clearly wasn't human, but even as he tried to use his own flashlight to figure out what was going on, a much brighter flash came from further up, and then he suddenly heard something crash into some nearby bushes

[melodists]

Tear did not miss the sound, especially the unearthly shriek from above. Especially something falling and landing into the greenery. Wasting no time, she flew toward the tree Claude had climbed, to find the young man holding a gun and smelling of blood. Her eyes instantly narrowed in focus. A skirmish had obviously occurred.

As Guy moved toward the crash, Tear indicated for Anise to help the man (if she hadn't already). Claude didn't seem to be in pain, but as she was the medic of the group, she had to ensure the injury was not severe and if possible, treat it. It didn't matter if she was lacking in resources or abilities; it was her duty.

"Let me see your arm," she said to Claude.

[gald_digger]

So much for being lucky. A sudden screech drew Anise's attention back to where Claude was, and the sight of a flash of light and something falling from the tree sent her running over. For a moment, she'd feared that it was Claude who fell from the tree like that, but moments later she saw the man drop safely to the ground